Academy of Blood and Magic

25🖤

Emily touched my arm. "Lyric? Are you okay?"

"Get LeBlanc," I whispered to her and started striding over to the hooded figure.

I had no idea what I was going to do, but all I knew was that I could not let this person out of my sight. I had a feeling that they had something to do with Brandon being framed and they'd attacked me twice. I was not going to let them get away with it.

"Lyric!" Emily called after me but I didn't pause. I couldn't let this person getaway.

The hooded figure turned and walked out the back door.

I picked up my pace and ran after them. I slammed the door open and saw the person rounding the corner. I ran even faster. . .only to find them gone. I looked around wildly then saw them across the road, speed walking down the sidewalk.

I ran after them, knowing I probably seemed like a crazy person but I didn't care. I had to get to them. I couldn't let them get away.

I heard voices shout after me but I ignored them, too intent on getting to that person before they got away.

I'd reached the other side of the road when hands clamped down on my arms, jerking me to a stop.

"What the hell are you doing?" Agent LeBlanc yelled loud enough to make my ears ring. "Are you effing crazy?"

I struggled against his strong grip, still intent on getting to the person. "The hooded person! They're here!"

"What hooded person?"

"The one who attacked me!"

LeBlanc swore and released me. I turned and saw him take out his cell phone and dial someone.

"I'm getting reinforcements," he said. "Stay right here or I'll pin you to the ground, I'm not playing. You could've seriously gotten yourself hurt or killed."

As he talked to the person over the phone, Jesse, Eve, and Emily ran over to me.

"What the hell happened?" the three of them asked in unison.

I looked back at where I'd seen the hooded person disappear around the corner of one of the buildings.

"The person who attacked me was there," I explained and their eyes widened.

LeBlanc got done talking on the phone, hung up, and slipped his phone back in his back pocket. "We need to go. Now."

I didn't bother protesting; I knew it'd be pointless.

We followed LeBlanc back to our cars. I'd driven with my friends in Jesse's car and followed them to get inside but LeBlanc grabbed my arm.

"No, you're riding with me," he said firmly and started pulling me to his car.

"I'll call y'all later," I called out to them and they nodded, appearing shaken up by what just happened.

I got in the passenger seat of LeBlanc's black van. My fingers trembled as I tried to put my seatbelt on, reeling from seeing the hooded figure, my mind suddenly flashing back to the attack they invoked on me. My back burned and ached as the memories surfaced.

LeBlanc growled, reached over, and buckled me in then sped out of the parking lot seconds after turning the engine on.

On the way back to my house, we passed by the county jail where Brandon was being kept at and my anxiety spiked even more. I pressed my palm against the glass of the window, gazing at the building until we passed it. Knowing Brandon was in there and I was out here killed me.

The hooded figure kept flashing in my eyes. My mind went back to feeling those claws raking down my back, cutting my skin and tendons open, to being lifted in the air by my neck as all the oxygen was deprived of me. I squeezed my eyes shut as though trying to block out the image.

"It's okay, Lyric," LeBlanc said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "They won't get to you. It'll be fine."

I opened my eyes to look at him, but something to my left caught my attention. I looked out the window and screamed, startling him.

The hooded figure was standing on the sidewalk, watching us as the car went by.

LeBlanc cursed and the van swerved before he managed to get it under control. "What the hell, girl?!"

I grabbed at his sleeve and pointed to where the hooded figure was standing. "They're here! They're here!"

LeBlanc cursed and sped up even more. I was shocked we didn't get pulled over or into an accident. He didn't slow down until we arrived at my house. We jumped out and bolted for the door. I got inside while he stood outside the doorway, his arms raised in the air as he chanted a spell. The wind tugged his hair free from his ponytail and his voice grew an octave louder with every word he chanted.

The neighbors stopped what they were doing to gape at him as he did or running inside their houses.

Mom, Dad, and Daniel ran into the living room upon hearing LeBlanc's

spell.

"What's going on?" Dad demanded.

"I saw the person who attacked me," I said.

"Are you okay?" Mom asked and rushed forward, gripping my arms,

peering into my face intently as though checking for any visible injuries.

"Yes, but they're out there. I think they -"

I was cut off by the sound of vans pulling into my driveway. FBI agents

filed out and it was a blur of activity from there.

I was questioned over and over about what I saw and what happened at Culver's. They took down my statement and I found myself repeating myself over and over again.

Yes, it was the same person I'd seen outside the mall and who was the

Dream Stalker that attacked me.

No, I could not see their face. I could not see their face but I could tell it was the same person.

Did they try to make contact with me? No.

Did I have anyone that wanted to hurt me? I gave Tristan and Everly's names. I sure as hell did. I didn't think they were the Dream Stalker that attacked me or the serial killer, but I was still giving their names since they almost had me killed. It was time to give them a taste of their own medicine.

Did I have any idea who the hooded person was? No.

I answered a ton of questions to the point I was answering on autopilot.

By the time the agents were done with questioning, my phone started ringing. I took one glance at the caller ID and answered.

"Hello?" I answered, my heart starting to race even faster.

"Someone took him!" Jo nearly screeched into the phone. I winced and pulled the phone away for a second before bringing it back into my ear.

"Took who? What's going on, Jo?"

"Someone broke into the jail and took Brandon! He's gone! He's missing!"